Aleksandar Hemon
A Bosnian-American writer who turned the dislocation of war and exile into profound, darkly comic literature that interrogates history and identity.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Bosnian-American author, essayist, critic, television writer and screenwriter·Birthday: September 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Aleksandar Hemon's life and work are split by a historical comma: the Siege of Sarajevo. He left his native Bosnia for Chicago in 1992 on what was meant to be a short visit, only to find himself stranded, a permanent outsider. He taught himself English by reading voraciously and began writing in it, forging a singular, muscular style that bends the language to his will. His writing—from the novel 'The Lazarus Project' to his searing essays—grapples with the ghosts of the past, the absurdities of displacement, and the construction of self in a new world. His foray into screenwriting for 'The Matrix Resurrections' was a natural extension of his fascination with reality's porous boundaries. Hemon doesn't just tell immigrant stories; he dissects the very nature of memory and belonging.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Aleksandar was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aleksandar Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Aleksandar's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His novel 'The Lazarus Project' was a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2008.
- Awarded a MacArthur Fellowship (the 'Genius Grant') in 2004 for his contributions to literature.
- Co-wrote the screenplay for the 2021 film 'The Matrix Resurrections' with director Lana Wachowski.
- Published 'The Book of My Lives,' a critically acclaimed collection of autobiographical essays, in 2013.
Did You Know?
He was a journalist and editor for a youth magazine in Sarajevo before the Bosnian war.
He is a passionate supporter of the football club FK Sarajevo.
He became a naturalized United States citizen in the early 2000s.
“The past is a foreign country, but so is the future.”
